E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R ’ S M E S S A G E J o h n F . K y n e s - H i l l s b o r o u g h C o u n t y B a r A s s o c i a t i o n
ArtheniaJoynernamed2021HCBAoutstandinglawyer ; thetrailblazingAttorneyalsoHonored withJustice & diversitylifetime AchievementAwardatluncheon
“ today , iamespeciallypleasedtoaccepttheseawardsatthe intersectionofour125yearsasaBarassociationandtheprogresswe havemadeinthediversificationofourprofession .” — ArtheniaJoyner
As a child , Arthenia Joyner says she vividly remembers the Ku Klux Klan marching in front of her home in Lakeland . Joyner said when she asked her father what the men were doing , he told her they were white supremacists and marching in the neighborhood because their family was Black .
Joyner says this early brush with hatred and discrimination would later help spur her to become a lawyer and to make a positive difference in the lives of others .
The trailblazing attorney , civil rights activist , and public servant shared her childhood memory while accepting the HCBA ’ s 2021 Outstanding Lawyer Award at the HCBA ’ s Diversity Membership Luncheon in January at the JW Marriott Water Street .
The criteria for the HCBA ’ s Outstanding Lawyer Award requires that it go to someone who , over the years , has exhibited superior legal ability ; has demonstrated a high degree of professionalism and ethics ; is widely recognized as a “ mentor ” to other lawyers ; and someone who has been actively involved in HCBA activities .
The HCBA ’ s Diversity , Equity , and Inclusion Standing Committee also recognized Joyner at the luncheon with a special lifetime achievement award for her “ extraordinary leadership and commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in Hillsborough County ’ s legal community .”
HCBA President Cory J . Person presented both HCBA awards to Joyner at the luncheon . He stated that
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